Indiana Public Media News

Indiana Lawmakers Respond To North Korea Agreement

Posted June 12, 2018

Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump meet in Singapore (Photo: Secretary of State on Twitter)

Indiana lawmakers are applauding the historic agreement between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but some urge caution until more details are known.

As NPR reports, the two world leaders signed a brief statement calling for peace, committing to recover the remains of U.S. service members from the Korean War and asserting a “firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.”

Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind) is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He says the progress is laudable, but says North Korean denuclearization must be “independently verified.”

“I am also concerned about the president’s announcement that he plans to stop joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, as these efforts are central to assuring the security of our allies in the region, and I will be actively seeking details on this front,” Donnelly said in a statement. “Only by working together with our allies across the region, and by maintaining effective economic sanctions on North Korea as long as the nuclear threat persists, can we make Hoosier families and all Americans safer.”

Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind) is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He congratulated Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on holding the summit.

“This summit represents an important first step, but there is much more work to do — and many issues to be resolved,” Young said in a statement. “The goal of the negotiations remains the same: the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will follow negotiations closely to ensure that we reach a strong agreement with North Korea that is rigorously enforced.”

Rep. Jim Banks (R-3rd District) says the agreement is important, but “what follows in the months and years to come is even more critical.”

The Trump administration deserves tremendous credit for bringing Kim Jong-un to the table through its pressure campaign. Denuclearization does not happen overnight and we must continue pressuring the Kim regime until verifiable concessions are made. #TrumpKimSummit 1/3

“We finally have a commander in chief who, rather than lead from behind, has embraced challenges and inspired a new era of American leadership and diplomacy,” Rokita said in a statement. “President Trump’s peace through strength strategy re-asserted America back to the front of the world stage.”

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